The present invention generally relates to a sheet aligning arrangement, for example, the one which is used for a copying apparatus and arranged to receive copy paper sheets fed thereinto for alignment, and to re-feed one sheet by one sheet the aligned copying paper sheets, in the case of duplex copying, composite copying, etc.
Recently, for example, in the field of copying system, there have been copying apparatuses developed provided with various functions such as the so-called duplex copying which copies on front and reverse surfaces of a copy paper sheet, and composite copying which effects copying on the same side face of a copy paper sheet in different images (e.g., a frame and letters in the frame) or by toners of different colors. In order to carry out such functions as referred to above, it is necessary to once feed the paper sheets after copying onto an intermediate tray for refeeding therefrom.
In the above case, if the copy paper sheets stacked on the intermediate tray are not properly aligned, there is a possibility that troubles in feeding such as simultaneous feeding of a plurality of copy paper sheets, paper jamming, etc. may take place during the re-feeding, and in order to prevent such troubles, it is required to align the copy paper sheets accurately at a transport reference position on the intermediate tray.
Accordingly, it has been a conventional practice to provide a widthwise direction regulating roller which is driven for rotation in an inclined state with respect to the transport reference position, thereby to displace any copy paper sheet fed in from the transport reference position with a positional deviation, toward a transport reference corner portion. Another known practice is such that, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,615, the copy paper sheets are aligned with a transport reference position through tapping on opposite sides of the copy paper sheets by pivoting position regulating members provided on opposite sides inwardly or outwardly.
However, in the former practice, there is such a problem that for example, when an upwardly curled copy paper sheet is fed in, such curled copy paper sheet is undesirably folded by the widthwise direction regulating roller, while it is difficult to adjust the contact pressure of the roller to correspond to the number of copy paper sheets fed in.
Meanwhile, in the latter practice, there is also such a disadvantage that the copy paper sheets undesirably jump when the position regulating members tap on the opposite sides of said sheets, thus resulting in deterioration in the alignment to give rise to faulty re-feeding of the copy paper sheets.
On the other hand, in order to prevent such faulty re-feeding of the copy paper sheets, it is also necessary to guide the copy paper sheets by side regulating plates at the transport reference position during the re-feeding.
Furthermore, in the above case, together with the correct alignment of the copy paper sheets fed onto the intermediate tray at the re-feeding position, it is also necessary to simultaneously open a re-feeding passage for the copy paper sheets. Therefore, in the conventional arrangements, the forward edge portion of the intermediate tray is adapted to be raised higher in position than a leading edge regulating means for the copy paper sheets.
However, since the intermediate tray is a comparatively large member, not only a large-sized mechanism is required for pivoting such intermediate tray, but a sufficient space is required for the pivotal movement thereof, thus resulting in a large size of the copying apparatus itself.